Government Support to Cane Growers

The Government is likely to provide support, in financial terms, to sugarcane farmers for produce sold to the sugar mills, to subsidise sugarcane prices and to aid sugar mills in the midst of low domestic and global sugar prices. Stocks of Balrampur Chini and Bajaj Hindustan are up by more than 5 percent each in today’s trade session.

The expected amount of payment is Rs.55 per tonne to the cane farmers. Sugar mills are required to pay fair remunerative prices (FRP) to the farmers. However, on account of subdued sugar prices, outstanding dues towards farmers for sugarcane purchase is piling up, leading to working capital issues. The move would aid sugar mills' net operating margins and working capital. It would ensure partial payment to farmers on the overall dues pending for sugarcane produce. In the month of March, 2018, the Government also scrapped export duty on sugar of 20 percent and made it compulsory for mills to export at least 2mn tonnes of sugar. This would enable sugar mills to dump excess sugar output in the global markets.

India, the world’s biggest sugar consumer, last month scrapped a 20 percent export tax and made it compulsory for mills to export at least 2 million tonnes of sugar. But mills said they would incur a loss of at least $ 150 a tonne because global prices were near a 2-1/2-year low.

Central Government is likely to provide financial support to cane farmers for produce sold to sugar mills, two government sources said, in a rare move to subsidise the industry which is reeling under a glut and struggling to export because of low global prices.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration is likely to approve a proposal to pay around 55 rupees ($ 0.84) for every tonne of cane sold to the mills, two government sources said, seeking anonymity in line with government policy.

Although India is not planning any direct incentive for sugar exports, rival suppliers such as Brazil, Australia and Thailand could still lodge complaints with the World Trade Organization (WTO), saying such support will help Indian industry to sell overseas.

Brazil, the world’s biggest sugar producer, has already expressed concerns over the policies that support overseas sales of the sweetener from India and neighbouring Pakistan.

But it will boost the prospects of 50 million cane farmers, an influential political lobby, and 524 mills struggling with massive mounds of sugar.

While the government plans to pay 55 rupees a tonne to cane farmers, mills would pay the rest of the state-set price, sources said.

Every year, the federal government fixes the price that mills must pay to cane growers, but Uttar Pradesh state, the biggest producer, usually raises the rate to placate farmers.

For the 2017-18 season, the federal government fixed the cane floor price at 255 rupees per 100 kg, while Uttar Pradesh raised the rate to 315 rupees per 100 kg.

“While cane prices have risen sharply, sugar prices have nosedived, making it very difficult for most mills to pay cane growers,” said Abinash Verma, Director General of the Indian Sugar Mills Association, a producers’ body.

India, also the world’s biggest sugar producer after Brazil, is likely to churn out a record 30.3 million tonnes of the sweetener in the 2017-18 season that ends on Sept. 30, up from 20.3 million tonnes in the previous year, hammering local prices down by more than 15 percent in the past six months.

Mills say a sharp fall in sugar prices erodes their profitability, making it difficult for them to pay cane growers on time.

Sugar mills now owe 170 billion rupees ($ 2.62 billion) to farmers.

Of late, restive farmers have taken to the streets to protest against meagre incomes, forcing some state governments to write-off billions of dollars in farm debts.